1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vote recording devices, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved punch type vote recording device which punches machine readable holes in non-scored ballot cards. Conventional vote recording devices require the use of a paper ballot card provided with a large number of discrete prescored portions which may be punched out by a blunt stylus to form a rectangular opening in the card. The ballot cards are later read in a machine card reading device. These conventional vote recording devices which utilize prescored ballot cards are disadvantageous because the scored portion punched out by the blunt stylus, sometimes referred to as a "chip" or a "chad", may not be fully removed but merely folded downwardly on the ballot card with one edge still remaining attached to the ballot. When the ballot card bearing such attached chips enters the card reading machine, it disrupts the proper scanning or operation of the machine. Additionally, the prescored portions of the ballot card may become accidentally loose or removed, thus resulting in incorrect or defective ballots. In order to overcome these problems, the present invention provides an improved vote recording device adapted to form clean openings in a non-scored ballot card.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various types of vote recording devices are known in the prior art. A typical example of such a vote recording device is to be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,257, which issued to I. Laws on Oct. 27, 1970, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,566, which issued to Ahmann on Oct. 27, 1981. These devices disclose voting systems utilizing prescored ballot cards. These patents additionally describe the inherent disadvantages of voting systems utilizing prescored cards. U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,034, which issued to R. Stephens et al on Dec. 11, 1984, discloses a voting system which utilizes unscored ballot cards. This device employs a sharpened cutting stylus and places the unscored ballot card directly over an anvil plate which is provided with an array of spaced die openings corresponding to the diameter of the stylus and in alignment with guide openings provided in an upper mask through which the punch must be inserted. The cutting tip of the stylus has an angled end portion formed with a recessed center section for severing a chip from the card. A resilient sheet is positioned beneath the template and is provided with pairs of cross-slits intersecting at the axis of each opening, through which the stylus is pressed, by spreading apart the quadrants of the cross-slits at the opening, for stripping the chips from the end of the stylus. This device employs an upper mask, an intermediate template and a bottom template which is biased out of alignment with the apertures formed in the upper mask. The intermediate template serves as a mechanical lockout device which prevents the insertion of a stylus unless a ballot card is fully seated in the device. The seating of the ballot card causes axial shifting of the intermediate template which axially aligns openings of the upper mask, intermediate template and bottom template, allowing insertion of the cutting stylus. In the device of Stephens et al, the upper mask moves in response to insertion of a ballot card. This is undesirable because it provides a voter with access to the mask and additionally is subject to accidental contact by the user during even slight hand movement while holding the stylus.
While the above mentioned device of Stephens et al provides a system which does not require the use of prescored ballot cards, the system disclosed therein has certain drawbacks and disadvantages which are overcome by the vote recording device of the present invention. For example, because each of the upper mask, intermediate template and lower anvil of Stephens et al have openings of the same diameter, and since it is necessary for the stylus to be inserted freely and easily through the upper mask, in the event the ballot card is not fully or properly seated and the intermediate template is slightly askew, the entry of the stylus may cause the template to shift and register a punch on a misaligned ballot card. Further, the slot required between the intermediate template and the bottom anvil must be sufficiently wide to permit insertion of the ballot card and must be at least as wide as the thickest anticipated card to be utilized. Accordingly, there is little support for the card in immediate surrounding relation to the bottom anvil hole, and since the card is not firmly supported against the bottom anvil during the punching step, it is possible to form a ragged edge hole in the ballot card which may produce scanning errors during machine reading. A further disadvantage of the voting system proposed by Stephens et al is the fact that the cutting stylus tip has extremely sharp exposed cutting edges which create the potential for serious injury to a voter. Inasmuch as the art is relatively crowded with respect to these various types of vote recording devices, it can be appreciated that there is a continuing need for and interest in improvements to such vote recording devices, and in this respect, the present invention addresses this need and interest.